To measure the quality of assemblies comprising spaced panels it is desirable to measure the spacings between panel edges and panel surfaces. For example automobiles have gaps between doors and surrounding panels as well as between the hood and fenders, and during manufacture measurements are frequently made to assure that the correct gap size and panel flushness has been obtained.
It has been the practice to use manually operated feeler gages and straight edge tools to make the gap and flushness measurements. That method is very slow and its accuracy is highly dependent on the skill of the operator. In addition, where it is desired to record the data for record purposes or for calculations the results of the measurements must be entered manually. It is known, however, to instrument a measuring tool to obtain data in the form of electrical signals and to display the measurement in numeric form.